The architects converted a five-story 1950's apartment
building, located on a commercial street lined with retail stores
and office buildings, into a thirty-six room boutique hotel, with
new services and amenities such as a swimming pool, gym, sauna,
bar, and restaurant.

The old structure achieved a new identity because of its new
wrapper, a frosted glass envelope composed of rectangular glass
panels, which exists beyond the original facade. This "air buffer"
not only controls heat gains, eliminating the need for heating and
cooling systems, it also serves as an acoustical device and
mediates the view while providing privacy. Sandwiched between the
new and old facades are the original balconies and new
corridors.

Hotel Habita. Photo courtesy Ten
Arquitectos

Hotel Habita. Photo courtesy Ten
Arquitectos

Photo courtesy Ten
Arquitectos

From a distance the new facade appears to be an expressionless
mask but, at closer range, as a play of shadows appears, the
shadowed walkways, balconies and guests become visible.

Small transparent bands are the new facade's only adornment.
These strategically small apertures provide each room choreographed
views of the city beyond, framing the desirable and screening out
the unsightly.

Hotel Habita. Photo courtesy Ten
Arquitectos

Photo courtesy Ten
Arquitectos

The rooms themselves look out onto two planes of
floor-to-ceiling glass, the inner is transparent, the outermost,
opaque. These planes are imbued with natural light all day
and provide complete privacy. The decor of the rooms follow
the austerity of the outer enclosure, as only a bed and a
cantilevered plane of glass, which serves as both desk and table,
occupy the space, everything else is concealed behind a polished
panelled wall. This minimalist aesthetic enlarges the
experience of the otherwise compact rooms.

Photo courtesy Ten
Arquitectos

Photo courtesy Ten
Arquitectos

Hotel Habita. Roof terrace. Photo
courtesy Ten Arquitectos

Hotel Habita. Photo courtesy Ten
Arquitectos

The hotel has become a popular destination in the city and has
transformed its surrounding area. The roof top pool, terrace,
bar and lounge provide a public gathering space, and offer
recovered views of the city.

Hotel Habita. Photo courtesy Ten
Arquitectos

At night, the entire building is transformed into a lantern with
a changing checkerboard pattern of illumination, controlled by the
room occupants.